The sisters walked home silently. They found the right path and walked without blundering. The evening darkness was coming on. They made haste. The warm, damp earth clung to their feet and seemed to hinder their movements. They were not far from their own house when they suddenly came upon Ostrov in the woods. He seemed to be on the look-out for something as he walked. When he saw the sisters he turned aside and stood behind the trees; then he strode forward quickly and faced them with an unexpected suddenness that made Elena shudder and Elisaveta frown. Ostrov bowed to them with derisive politeness and said: “May I ask you something, fair ladies?” Elisaveta surveyed him calmly and said without haste: “What is it?” Elena was silent with fear. “Are you taking a walk?” asked Ostrov. “Yes,” answered Elisaveta briefly. “Mr. Trirodov’s house is somewhere hereabouts, unless I’m mistaken,” said Ostrov, half questioningly. “Yes, you’ll find it by following the direction from which we came,” replied Elena. She wanted to conquer her fear. Ostrov winked at her insolently and said: “Thank you most humbly. And who may you be?” “Perhaps it is not necessary that you should know,” replied Elisaveta with a half-question. Ostrov burst into laughter and said with unpleasant familiarity: “It may not be necessary, but it would be interesting.” The sisters walked on rapidly, but he did not desist. They thought him repulsive. There was something alarming in his obtrusiveness. “You evidently live hereabouts, fair ladies,” continued Ostrov; “I will therefore venture to ask you what you know about Mr. Trirodov, who interests me immensely.” Elena laughed, perhaps somewhat dissemblingly, in order to hide her agitation and fear. “Perhaps we don’t live hereabouts,” she said. Ostrov whistled. “Very likely, isn’t it, that you’ve come all the way from Moscow with your bare little feet,” he shouted angrily. “We cannot tell you anything that can interest you,” said Elena coldly. “You had better apply to him personally. It would be more proper.” Ostrov again burst into a sarcastic laugh and exclaimed: “I can’t deny that that would be proper, my handsome barefoot one. But suppose he’s very busy, eh? How, then, would you advise me to get this interesting information I want?” The sisters were silent and walked on rapidly. Ostrov persisted: “You are of his colony? Unless I’m mistaken you are instructresses there. As far as one could judge from your light dresses and your contempt of footwear, I think I’m not mistaken, eh? Tell me, it’s an amusing life there, isn’t it?” “No,” said Elisaveta, “we are not instructresses and we do not live there.” “What a pity!” said Ostrov incredulously. “I might have told you something about Mr. Trirodov.” He looked at the sisters attentively. They were silent.